at the table

I came across this poem today.. and I'm sure I've read it before, but it means more to me now as "a Grownup Lady" (as Sadie refers to me) with my own children sitting at the table.  It kind of sums up why I wanted to build our own table--why it seemed too impersonal to buy this particular item of furniture.

Perhaps the World Ends Here

By Joy Harjo

The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.

The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.

We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.

It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.

At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.

Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.

This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.

Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.

We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.

At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.

Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.

knock-off wood

Well, we finally finished building our dining room table.

 We followed the free online plans for Ana White's Farmhouse Table {found here} It was our first try at pocket-hole jig joinery. Heck...it was our first try at building any kind of furniture, so all things considered,  I'm really happy with it.  

{especially happy after dining from a plastic Costco folding table for months and months}

According to the plans, this table is an "intermediate" wood working project that you can do in a weekend.  The equation can be adjusted if you are wrangling two small children whilst trying to move into a new house and start a new job at the same time.  Give yourself 5 months to build it.  During that time you might find that the cheap, construction-grade wood that you bought at lowesdepot might warp in your garage.  One of your table legs may or mayn't  end up a quarter inch off the floor requiring some shimming... I'm saying this table isn't without its quirks; kind of like the people who built it. So it fits.

The BEST part of the table was finishing it.  The upside of a weekend project turned into a 5 month one is that the steel wool you left in a jar of vinegar in your garage has a chance to dissolve completely and make a really nice, dark red iron acetate. After a coat of strong black tea, and a coat of said solution the table was looking pretty awesome.  We decided to skip a urethane finish and go with something that is much more friendly for the earth, and the air quality in our home, not to mention the wee one who like to "put everything in da mouse" as Sadie likes to say.  So we sealed it with Daddy Van's beeswax furniture polish...which smells amazing and makes your hands feel really good. Sadie helped me buff it.  She is a surprisingly adept student in the art of wax-on.  A really awesome thing about "sealing" wood with beeswax is that it feels so nice to the touch--satiny smooth--with just a hint of a subtle sheen.  It will be interesting to see how it holds up to daily wear and tear.

 Now our living/dining  room is starting to feel like a real home.  I can't even believe I let the husband talk me into all these animals on the walls--but honestly, something about this space just whispers rustic eighties ski lodge so they kind of fit, the kids love them, and I get the sunroom to decorate however I want.  Now we just need to build some benches for the table.  Those will probably get done by next Christmas;)